yummy love on a budget: Chicken Noodle Soup

This was my first time attempting to make chicken noodle soup. It is one of our favorite soups and turned out to be much easier than I expected. It's a great meal to make on the weekend and will last through the week.

I forgot to buy 2 containers of chicken stock and improvised with 4 chicken bouillon cubes and 4 cups of water. It turned out great this way, but I would suggest just buying the right amount of chicken stock. I like to use Swanson's less sodium broth.

2 chicken breasts
8 cups of chicken stock
1/2 a bundle of kale leaves
2 carrots
2 celery ribs
1 onion
1 bay leaf
4-6 cups of egg noodles
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Vegetable Oil

1. Prepare the vegetables; seperate the kale leaves and stems. Chop both. Add the chopped stems to a bowl. You will add the leaves to the soup later on.

2. Chop the celery and carrots into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the bowl with the chopped kale stems.

3. Slice the onion in half. Slice the onion into thin strips. Add to the bowl with the chopped carrots, celery, and kale stems.

4. Heat the oil in a big pot over medium heat. While the pot is heating up combine the veggies in the bowl. Use your hands to make sure that all the onions are seperated and all the veggies are incorperated in the bowl.

5. Add the veggies, Italian seasoning, and kale leaf to the pot. Stir to combine. Let the veggies cook for about 7 minutes, until the soften a bit. Stir often so the veggies do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

6. Add two tablespoons of flour and stir. Let the pot sit for 1 minute.

7. Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken's internal temperature registers at 165 degrees F.